Critical Languages

Critical languages are those less commonly taught languages in which the demand for proficient speakers exceeds supply. The Department of Defense wants personnel who speak a second language to improve ground operations; intelligence agencies need officers who can speak rarely taught languages; international businesses are concerned about competition with countries who have an endless supply of technically skilled workers who speak English fluently. Yet the American educational system does little to expose its future workers, businessmen, scientists, soldiers and diplomats to foreign languages when their brains are best able to learn them — starting in elementary school and continuing throughout the rest of the educational cycle. This is especially true of all world languages besides a few that are most commonly taught in schools, namely, Spanish, French, and to some extent, German.

Less Commonly Taught Languages

The National Security Education Program (NSEP) emphasizes the study of some 70 languages that are rarely, if ever, taught in U.S. educational institutions. These languages are listed below.